Introduction to the Human Body - Vocabulary Flashcards

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering basic anatomy, physiology, structural levels, life processes, homeostasis, body systems, positions, directional terms, planes, cavities, and movement terms.

Anatomy

The science of body structures and the relationships among structures.

Embryology

The branch of anatomy that studies the first eight weeks of development after fertilization.

Developmental biology

The branch of anatomy that studies the complete development of an individual from fertilization.

Cell biology

The branch of anatomy that studies cellular structure and functions.

Histology

The branch of anatomy that studies the microscopic structure of tissues.

Gross anatomy

The branch of anatomy that studies structures that can be examined without a microscope.

Systemic anatomy

The branch of anatomy that studies the structure of specific systems of the body, such as the nervous or respiratory system.

Regional anatomy

The branch of anatomy that studies specific regions of the body, such as the head or chest.

Surface anatomy

The branch of anatomy that studies surface markings of the body to understand internal anatomy through visualization and palpation.

Radiographic anatomy

The branch of anatomy that studies body structures that can be visualized with techniques such as x-rays, MRI, and CT scans.

Pathological anatomy

The branch of anatomy that studies structural changes associated with diseases (gross to microscopic).

Physiology

The science of body functions.

Neurophysiology

The branch of physiology that studies the functional properties of nerve cells.

Endocrinology

The branch of physiology that studies hormones and how they control body functions.

Cardiovascular physiology

The branch of physiology that studies functions of the heart and blood vessels.

Immunology

The branch of physiology that studies the body’s defenses against disease-causing agents.

Respiratory physiology

The branch of physiology that studies functions of the air passageways and lungs.

Renal physiology

The branch of physiology that studies functions of the kidneys.

Exercise physiology

The branch of physiology that studies changes in cell and organ functions due to muscular activity.

Pathophysiology

The branch of physiology that studies functional changes associated with disease and aging.

Chemical level

The level of structural organization that includes atoms (smallest units) and molecules (two or more atoms joined together).

Cellular level

The level of structural organization where molecules combine to form cells, which are the basic structural and functional units of a living organism.

Tissue level

The level of structural organization consisting of groups of cells and the materials surrounding them that work together to perform a particular function.

Organ level

The level of structural organization composed of two or more different types of tissues that have specific functions and usually recognizable shapes.

System level

The level of structural organization consisting of related organs with a common function.

Organismal level

The highest level of structural organization, representing any living individual.

Metabolism

The sum of all chemical processes that occur in the body.

Responsiveness

The body’s ability to detect and respond to changes in its environment.

Movement (Life Process)

The life process including motion of the whole body, individual organs, single cells, and tiny structures inside cells.

Growth

An increase in body size that results from an increase in the size of existing cells, an increase in the number of cells, or both.

Differentiation

The development of a cell from an unspecialized to a specialized state.

Reproduction

Refers either to the formation of new cells for tissue growth or the production of a new individual.

Homeostasis

The condition of equilibrium in the body’s internal environment due to the constant interaction of the body’s many regulatory processes.

Stimulus

Any disruption that changes a controlled condition in a feedback system.

Receptor

A body structure that monitors changes in a controlled condition and sends input to a control center via an afferent pathway.

Control center

A body structure (such as the brain) that maintains a controlled condition within a normal range, evaluates input received from receptors, and sends commands through an efferent pathway.

Effector

A body structure that receives output from the control center and produces a response or effect that changes the controlled condition.

Integumentary system

Body system composed of skin, hair, nails, sweat glands, and oil glands; protects the body, helps regulate temperature, eliminates wastes, makes vitamin D, detects sensations, and stores fat.

Skeletal system

Body system composed of bones, joints, and cartilages; supports/protects the body, provides muscle attachment areas, aids movement, houses blood cell-producing cells, and stores minerals and lipids.

Muscular system

Body system composed of skeletal, smooth, and cardiac muscle tissue; participates in body movements, maintains posture, and produces heat.

Nervous system

Body system composed of the brain, spinal cord, nerves, and special sense organs; generates action potentials to detect, interpret, and respond to environmental changes.

Endocrine system

Body system composed of hormone-producing glands and cells; regulates body activities by releasing chemical messengers into the blood.

Lymphatic system

Body system composed of lymphatic fluid, vessels, spleen, thymus, lymph nodes, tonsils, and immune cells; returns proteins and fluid to blood, carries lipids, and houses sites for B and T cell maturation.

Cardiovascular system

Body system composed of blood, heart, and blood vessels; pumps blood to carry oxygen and nutrients to cells, removes wastes, and regulates acid-base balance, temperature, and water content.

Respiratory system

Body system composed of lungs and air passageways; transfers oxygen to blood and carbon dioxide to exhaled air, regulates acid-base balance, and produces sound via vocal cords.

Digestive system

Body system composed of gastrointestinal tract organs and accessory organs; achieves physical and chemical breakdown of food, absorbs nutrients, and eliminates solid wastes.

Urinary system

Body system composed of kidneys, ureters, urinary bladder, and urethra; produces, stores, and eliminates urine, regulates blood volume, composition, mineral balance, and red blood cell production.

Reproductive system

Body system composed of gonads (testes or ovaries) and associated organs; produces gametes and releases hormones to regulate reproduction.

Anatomical position

Standard position of reference where the subject stands erect, facing the observer with head level, eyes forward, lower limbs parallel with feet flat and forward, and upper limbs at sides with palms forward.

Supine position

Reclining position of the body lying face-up.

Prone position

Reclining position of the body lying facedown.

Superior (cephalic/cranial)

Directional term meaning toward the head, or the upper part of a structure.

Inferior (caudal)

Directional term meaning away from the head, or the lower part of a structure.

Anterior (ventral)

Directional term meaning nearer to or at the front of the body.

Posterior (dorsal)

Directional term meaning nearer to or at the back of the body.

Medial

Directional term meaning nearer to the midline (which divides the body into equal right and left sides).

Lateral

Directional term meaning farther from the midline.

Intermediate

Directional term meaning between two structures.

Ipsilateral

Directional term meaning on the same side of the body as another structure.

Contralateral

Directional term meaning on the opposite side of the body from another structure.

Proximal

Directional term meaning nearer to the origination of a structure.

Distal

Directional term meaning farther from the origination of a structure.

Superficial (external)

Directional term meaning toward or on the surface of the body.

Deep (internal)

Directional term meaning away from the surface of the body.

Sagittal plane

A vertical plane that divides the body or an organ into right and left sides.

Midsagittal plane

A sagittal plane that lies exactly in the midline, dividing the body or organ into equal left and right sides; also called median plane.

Parasagittal plane

A sagittal plane that does not pass through the midline, dividing the body or organ into unequal right and left sides.

Frontal plane

A plane that divides the body or an organ into anterior (front) and posterior (back) portions; also called coronal plane.

Transverse plane

A plane that divides the body or an organ into superior (upper) and inferior (lower) portions; also called cross-sectional or horizontal plane.

Oblique plane

A plane passing through the body or an organ at an oblique angle, made diagonally between horizontal and vertical planes.

Section

A cut of the body or one of its organs made along one of the anatomical planes.

Dorsal body cavity

Cavity that protects nervous system organs, subdivided into cranial cavity and vertebral cavity.

Cranial cavity

Cavity inside the skull that encases the brain.

Vertebral cavity

Cavity enclosed by the bony vertebral column containing the spinal cord; also called spinal cavity.

Ventral body cavity

The anterior and larger closed body cavity containing internal organs (viscera), subdivided into thoracic and abdominopelvic cavities.

Thoracic cavity

Chest cavity surrounded by ribs and chest muscles, subdivided into pleural cavities and pericardial cavity.

Pleural cavity

Fluid-filled space surrounding a lung within the thoracic cavity.

Pericardial cavity

Fluid-filled space surrounding the heart within the thoracic cavity.

Abdominopelvic cavity

Cavity extending from the diaphragm to the groin, encircled by the abdominal wall and pelvic bones/muscles, subdivided into abdominal and pelvic cavities.

Serous membrane

Slippery, double-layered membrane that lines cavity walls and covers viscera in ventral cavities without opening directly to the exterior.

Parietal serosa

Layer of serous membrane that lines the cavity walls of the thorax and abdomen.

Visceral serosa

Layer of serous membrane that covers the viscera within the thoracic and abdominal cavities.

Serous fluid

Small amount of lubricating fluid present between the parietal and visceral layers allowing organs to slide without friction.

Synovial cavity

Joint cavity found in freely movable joints containing synovial fluid that reduces friction.

Abdominopelvic quadrants

Four divisions of the abdominopelvic cavity (RUQ, LUQ, RLQ, LLQ) formed by vertical and horizontal lines passing through the umbilicus.

Epigastric region

Abdominopelvic region located superior to the umbilical region.

Umbilical region

Centermost abdominopelvic region deep to and surrounding the umbilicus.

Hypogastric region

Abdominopelvic region located inferior to the umbilical region; also called pubic region.

Hypochondriac regions

Right and left abdominopelvic regions lying lateral to the epigastric region.

Lumbar regions

Right and left abdominopelvic regions lying lateral to the umbilical region.

Inguinal regions

Right and left abdominopelvic regions lying lateral to the hypogastric region; also called iliac regions.

Flexion

Movement involving bending of ventral surfaces with formation of an angle.

Extension

Movement where ventral surfaces move away from each other.

Abduction

Movement moving a structure away from the midline.

Adduction

Movement moving a structure toward the midline.

Circumduction

Combined rotatory movements involving flexion/extension with abduction/adduction.

Medial rotation

Movement moving the ventral surface toward the midline.

Lateral rotation

Movement moving the ventral surface away from the midline.

Elevation

Anatomical movement moving up.

Depression

Anatomical movement moving down.